1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bins used to compact waste and trash, and more particularly to bins in which an auger is inserted into one end to compact trash and waste placed into the bin.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large businesses place waste and trash in large metal compaction bins which are periodically compacted on site. When the bin is full, a trash compaction company picks up the bin with a truck and replaces it with an empty bin.
Some bins include a welded or integrally attached hydraulic plunger located inside the bin that moves from one end to the other to compact waste and trash placed in the bin. Because the plunger is physically attached inside the bin, the size and hauling capacity of a truck used to transport the bin must be relatively large. The cost of transporting empty and full bins between locations is a large operating expense which waste and trash compacting companies are constantly looking for ways to reduce.
An alternative compact or bin system uses bins designed to be used with an auger compactor unit set up at a fixed location at the business site. The auger compactor unit includes an auger that rotates inside a cylindrical-shaped nozzle that extends through an auger hole formed on a swing door attached to one end of the bin. The auger inside the auger nozzle is periodically activated to compact waste and trash deposited in the bin. When the bin is full, the bin is then moved laterally to remove the auger nozzle from the auger hole. An empty bin is then moved in place. The full bin is transported to a disposal site where the swing door on the bin is opened to dump the waste and trash from the bin.
One drawback with auger compactor bins is small amounts of waste and trash may escape from the auger hole when the nozzle and auger are removed and when the full bin is being transported.
What is needed is an auger compactor bin with an auger hole formed on the swing door with a self-sealing disk that allows an auger nozzle and the auger to be selectively inserted into the auger hole and then automatically reseals the auger hole when the auger nozzle is removed from the bin thereby preventing waste and trash from escaping from the auger hole.